8 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (Nov 21)

2. Why Are You Guys Still Here?

Cedric Alexander Ariya Daivari
WWE.com

Bill Goldberg provided the biggest shock of the night at Survivor Series, but Kalisto's victory over Brian Kendrick also seemed like a sure thing. His triumph would have sent the entire Cruiserweight division to SmackDown, where they'd have lined-up seamlessly with 205 Live's post-SD debut next Tuesday night, but Baron Corbin had other ideas. The Lone Wolf attacked both Kendrick and Kalisto, resulting in a disqualification victory for the champion, and the division staying on Raw.

This makes precisely zero sense, and last night's match between Cedric Alexander and Ariya Daivari shows why. Daivari was given a brief few seconds to cut a bog-standard foreign heel promo before he and Cedric engaged in a match that didn't even make it past the four-minute mark. Alexander walked away with the victory, but the match was far too short for them to get much done, and neither man benefited from it.

The Cruiserweights just haven't been given a fair shake of the stick on Raw. This match and promo symbolise this, and unless they're given more time to expand their characters and show what they can do between the ropes, the division will remain meaningless.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.